It's officially June which baffles my mind but we're plugging along in the Anderson household. We just came off a rough week with Ella getting the flu for 3 days starting Memorial day. That made it tough to juggle the two kids needs and keep them separated for fear of spreading germs. Ella was just not feeling well at all so that was sad to see but she's back to her springy self with energy abounding. Dean is growing like a weed and getting lots of chubby baby rolls. You don't see it as much in these pictures we took when he was 7 weeks old but now at 11 weeks he's getting to be a big boy. He is an eater and going through a growth spurt I'm convinced but he's healthy and very happy. He smiles a ton and loves to talk and coo. He's a lot more interactive than Ella was at this stage and is doing awesome at holding his head up. Ella is also talking up a storm now. I get so excited to be able to start communicating with her and she loves it when we understand each other so she just wants to keep repeating everything. It's super fun to hear her little voice start to sound like a real person and not a baby. She does a "tumbling" class as Daddy likes to call it Monday mornings with him and she's a super star. She loves the trampoline and is getting more gutsy every day with her tumbling moves. She is such a cutie and we love to see the two of them interact together. More summer fun to come as we turn a corner now that Dean is almost three months into a more baby and less "newborn" phase which feels good. He's sleeping in his crib now and gets up about once a night which is manageable. All in all we have two healthy and happy children so that's a big blessing!

Getting into the swing of things

Well...great news. We had a miracle event last night and Dean slept from 10:15 until 5:30am. Woo hoo! Praise the Lord. Could be a one time event (like it was when Ella was 6 weeks. She teased us one night and then it didn't happen again until she was 4 1/2 months old but I'm thinking positive with this one.. I'll let you know how it goes. Other than that, the Anderson clan is doing well. I'm adjusting to my new life as a stay at home mom making play dates, going to the park, and just keeping busy with the toddler in my life. She does best when we're out on the town doing things so Dean has been a trooper in his carrier being carted from one place to the next. I've gotten good at feeding him on the go..especially with the new minivan (which I can't believe I'm saying it) but Ella and I watch movies in the back while I feed Dean. It's like our own little living room on the go. He is growing like a weed and just last week started to look like a baby instead of a little newborn. He's starting to get the rolls to him and chubby cheeks which I just love. Ella is also doing great. She is so much fun and full of spirit. She is working on her words more and more and I love being able to communicate with her in her own little language. She says things like dog, ball, baby and turtle. She also makes the cutest sound for yes but it's more like "yep" with a head nod. Anyway, we're having fun and working hard at the same time while still a little sleepy from the round the clock newborn phase. Ahh, the joys of parenthood.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! We had a quiet Easter this year but it was nice. On Saturday we went to a community Easter egg hunt where Ella could practice finding Easter eggs and putting them in the basket. She and her friend Megan had a great time and she really caught on to the excitment with everyone cheering her on. In this photo she's clapping because she liked to congratulate herself everytime an egg made it into the basket. On Sunday we got up and did our Easter baskets with Ella. Then we had a family breakfast and headed off to church by 9:30 which was an accomplishment in and of itself! After church we headed home and had a nice relaxing afternoon by the fire (as it was a bit cold and rainy) and an "inside" easter egg hunt for Ella. She had a fun time and really caught the hang of putting eggs in the basket. All in all it was a nice Easter.

Baby Dean has arrived!

I'm sorry I haven't been as quick as I'd like to post the pictures of our new little boy but these days with all of the social media it's hard to keep on top of things. We've updated facebook, email, text messages, snapfish photo albums and now I'm on to the blog:) We're doing well settling in as a family of four. Of course, I will say we have a lot of great help from Grandma's and family members these last two weeks. Ella is as busy as usual so she's been spending time with Daddy and Nonni and Grandma while I tend to the baby. She always asks where the baby is and likes to help bring him pacifiers and bounce him or help him swing in the baby swing. Unfortunately, she did have a cold when the baby came home so that made things a little harder for our little girl but she's feeling a lot better now. The baby is doing great. He's starting to get a little more into a routine with eating which is nice for mommy and he sleeps great during the day. The last two nights he's stretched his feedings to 3-4 hours which is much more manageable than the 2 hour stints before so we're all feeling a little more normal. All in all, we're tag teaming the two kids and getting our naps in when we can. Basically what you would expect for a family with two kids under 2:) We are definitely blessed to have two healthy happy children and can't wait to watch them as they start to interact more and we grow as a family. More to come from the Andersons. Wishing you all a great start to the Spring Season!

Girly Girl

I had to post this shot of Ella playing dress up with the Tutu Aunt Chandry bought her and the bling jean purse that she got from my Nana on her 1st birthday. She was twirling around in her get up and posing for the camera. Yes, she is pretty much a girly girl at the moment. She loves babies, bottles, tea parties, kitchens and giving lots of hugs and kisses. Of course, that doesn't proclude her from being a tom boy and playing sports later in life as Jake would tell you. She is just too precious though and we're having a lot of fun with our 18 month old daughter. She can say a few words now...baby, ball, dog, cheese, shoes, etc. Most of them are baby talk (meaning Mommy can only understand) but "baby" is the one that's clear as day lately. We've been teaching her that baby goes in the car seat and the baby swing so she knows when the little one comes that those are his things. When we get in the car (by the way we got a new car but that's a long story...and yes, it's a mini van) she points at the baby car seat and says "Baby"! She also says "Hi" and "Bye" about 48 times a day. Every time she leaves a room or one of us takes her on some errands she makes it a point to say "Bye" to the other one in the sweetest voice that just makes your heart melt. Today a dog walked by our house and she kept saying "bye" to it as it passed until she couldn't see it anymore turning the corner. Sweet Ella.

On the pregnancy front, I'm 39 weeks along and we're all ready to meet our little man. I had a Doctor appointment two days ago and not a lot of progress but that's okay. It still could happen anytime. I'm setting my sights for closer to the due date of March 10th so I don't get discouraged. If that date passes my final time is a scheduled induction on March 15th but let's hope he makes his appearance before then:) All of my serious "nesting" projects are almost complete (will be after today) and Ella and I have been having some fun mother-daughter time with play dates, story times, walks, and lunches out on the town. We'll keep everyone posted when little Dean arrives! Hope all is well.

The Baby's Room is complete

Well, I am officially 37 weeks pregnant and the baby's room is all done! Yeah! I had fun with Baby Dean's room in the sail boat theme and can say now that it's my second nursery this one was definitely easier than Ella's. I had to find some random decorations to go with the theme, but it all worked out and the colors really are fun and bright. Of course Jake did an awesome job painting yet another room (he is officially a pro in my book) and then I got to do the fun stuff after that. Both Grandma and Nonni helped me out as my energy level isn't quite as high as my mind thinks it is sometimes. It feels good to be ready for the baby though....his blankets are washed, his sleepwear is ready and there is even newborn diapers in his diaper caddy. We can't wait to meet this little boy that is going to be in our lives sooner than we know it. We're ready for you Dean Jacob Anderson and we're excited to meet you!

Happy Valentine's Day

Ella had to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day with her giant cupcake and red and pink outfit. She looked so precious in her little pigtails. Just very loveable on a very loveable day of the year. Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day and that you could enjoy the ones you love on this occasion.